Exclusive:
How an Israeli Gentleman Tried to Sell to David
Irving a Bunch of Stolen Himmler Documents, and
what the Englishman then did.

Writing
from a address at No. 16 Dalagatan, in
Stockholm, Sweden ("phone and fax (468)
335186"), journalist Israel
Shamir
contacted David Irving by e-mail on June
17, 1998 with this tempting
offer:

I am a Moscow-based
journalist, a member of the British NU
Journalists and an ex-BBC man. Now I
received a request from my colleagues
in Russia to sell as soon as possible a
vast amount of the Third Reich archive
material. Theirs (and mine) interest is
purely commercial. I wonder whether you
would be able to arrange the sale or
alternatively to advise me whom I may
contact. I presume you are familiar
with some or all of the documents. I
understand my colleagues tried to
negotiate the sale themselves but could
not proceed with the required
speed.

Here is the list of offered
documents:

1. Service diary of Himmler from
28.1.41 till 30.12.42 total amount 569
pages, some of them signed by Himmler,
other signed by his adjutant.

3. Personal and business
correspondence of Himmler and his wife
from 1935 till 1940 with Martin
Bormann, Karl Wolff, Dr Rudi Brandt,
Hermann Goering, with parents,
relatives, friends. It is a family
archive including letters, invitations,
greetings etc. Total amount 405
pages.

Examples letter of
Marga H[immler] to Canaris,
poem by von Schirach, letter of
H[immler] to his parents,
letter of W B Yates with thanks to
Hitler and Himmler, etc.

[Comment
by David Irving: Lev Besymenski
published the original German text
of this many years
ago.]

Please reply as soon as you can
to indicate your interest or the lack
of it.

Truly yours

I.
Shamir

For the next two weeks I could
be reached in Israel on phone and fax
(9723) 50844911 or mobile phone (97250)
616775 or E-mail i.shamir@mailexcite.com

It was a tempting
proposition. David
Irving
responded that same day:

Dear Mr Shamir

I deeply appreciate your
contacting me, and I am as you will
also appreciate interested in securing
either (a) access to or (b) ownership
of some of those materials. Some of it
is known to me (the Himmler service
diary is in a photocopy in my
possession). Let me nose around for a
few days and get back to you. You can
e-mail me here in Florida at
Focalp@aol.com,
or (after mid August) in London via my
mail e-mail address info@fpp.co.uk.

Your friends may for instance
choose to rent to me copies of some of
the stuff, so they can sell the
originals either via me or
elsewhere.

Yours sincerely,

David Irving

On June 21, Shamir
informed Irving:

The documents are already
in the hands of my collegues. The idea
of a web-based ad on your site is
acceptable in general, but whether it
would generate response of persons with
means and interest to big amounts of
raw material - remains to be seen. As
long as the ad does not contain any
reference to Russia, I think it is all
right, but I'll check and confirm.

As to the rent of the letters -
I'll try to convince my collegues to do
it, but meanwhile they are hell-bend on
quick sale. Maybe a buyer would not
object to your exclusive scientific use
of the material? As you will be
instrumental in the deal, it does not
sound unreasonable and it will save you
five thousand quid. I'll try to get
soonest few scanned images pertaining
to the stuff. What would be your
assessment of the price range of the
offered items?

Your I Shamir

That day, on June
21, David
Irving sent
to Shamir this response:

Historians will probably
only be interested in those files
narrowly of concern to their own topic.
Big militaria collectors (and there are
some, and I am going to approach them
in the next two or three days by e-mail
and mail) may well be able to purchase
larger sets of the documents or even
all of them. You will find on my
Website the advertising I made for the
Heydrich photos. This has generated
responses from around the world in the
seven days since I posted it.
Admittedly, that seller is in no
hurry.

As for price, a comparable set
of papers is the 60 letters from
Himmler to his mistress, 150 pages. For
those handwritten items I would expect
the buyer to pay over $100,000. There
is a difference: the seller of those
letters has clean title to them, and
there is no risk of ownership
problems.

Your sellers are obtaining the
documents less legally, in my view, and
any buyer must anticipate major
problems from the German or Russian
governments. Of course, your sellers
may have obtained them legally, in
which case the above does not apply.
(I.e. your sellers may be the original
Russian archives or government agencies
themselves).

It is difficult for me to assess
the value without seeing even samples.
But a very broad range of figures, with
some explanations, might be:

1. $20,000 (low figure, because
already widely circulated. I have a
copy already).

2. $50-100,000 (provided they
are not identical with those already
published by the Institut für
Zeitgeschichte in Munich. If they are
identical, then again, more like
$20,000).

3. $50-100,000 depending on
content: (how many to wife, how many to
others, etc).

Dear Dr Irving, I received
indeed the second e-mail containing the
words "5000". The documents are already
in the hands of my collegues. The idea
of a web-based ad on your site is
acceptable in general, but whether it
would generate response of persons with
means and interest to big amounts of
raw material - remains to be seen. As
long as the ad does not contain any
reference to Russia, I think it is all
right, but I'll check and confirm. As
to the rent of the letters - I'll try
to convince my collegues to do it, but
meanwhile they are hell-bent on quick
sale. Maybe a buyer would not object to
your exclusive scientific use of the
material? As you will be instrumental
in the deal, it does not sound
unreasonable and it will save you five
thousand quid. I'll try to get soonest
few scanned images pertaining to the
stuff. What would be your assessment of
the price range of the offered items?
[gez. Unterschrift]

Meine Antwort lautete
(Anfang): --

Historians will probably
only be interested in those files
narrowly of concern to their own topic.
Big militaria collectors (and there are
some, and I am going to approach them
in the next two or three days by e-mail
and mail) may well be able to purchase
larger sets of the documents or even
all of them. You will find on my
Website the advertising I made for the
Heydrich photos. This has generated
responses from around the world in the
seven days since I posted it.
Admittedly, that seller is in no hurry.
As for price, a comparable set of
papers is the 60 letters from Himmler
to his mistress, 150 pages. For those
handwritten items I would expect the
buyer to pay over $100,000. There is a
difference: the seller of those letters
has clean title to them, and there is
no risk of ownership problems. Your
sellers are obtaining the documents
less legally, in my view, and any buyer
must anticipate major problems from the
German or Russian governments. Of
course, your sellers may have obtained
them legally, in which case the above
does not apply. (I.e. your sellers may
be the original Russian archives or
government agencies themselves).

It is difficult for me to assess
the value without seeing even samples.
But a very broad range of figures, with
some explanations, might be: 1. $20,000
(low figure, because already widely
circulated. I have a copy already). 2.
$50-100,000 (provided they are not
identical with those already published
by the Institut für Zeitgeschichte
in Munich. If they are identical, then
again, more like $20,000). 3.
$50-100,000 depending on content: (how
many to wife, how many to others, etc).
4. $10,000 (mainly curiosity value).
(But CIA or BND might offer more,
because of Nikolai's historic
importance. Few of his records
survive). 5. Can't estimate, as no idea
how many. 6. Depends on content: who is
in the photos, any valuable autographs?
7. Can't estimate, as no idea how many.
But see No. 4. above. 8. Can't
estimate, same reason. Perhaps
$10,000-15,000. 9. See answer to No. 4.
10. Of interest mainly to Zionist
archives. Have you approached the Chaim
Weizmann archives at Rehovot in Israel?
They will surely offer you the best
price for such collections. 11. See
answer to No. 10. 12. Can't estimate,
as no idea how many. The autograph
value (as opposed to historical-content
value) is however potentially very
high. 13. Can't estimate, as no idea
how many. Again, the autograph value
(as opposed to historical-content
value) is potentially very high. 14.
Unless this Russian document has
interesting autographs (Stalin, Beria),
it is of relative low sale price, since
the German original has been published
by Lev Besymenski many years
ago."

In
a further message on Friday, June 26, 1998
Mr Irving informed the German government
archives:

Israeli middle man Shamir has now
informed me:

I received the reply of my
collegues in Moscow regarding rent of
documents. I was mistaken - they are
pleased to rent and supply copies of
the documents as well. Regarding your
offer re letters of H to his wife in
item 3 and exchange of letters between
H and Heydrich, item 12, it appears
that in item 3 there are no letters of
H to his wife, but various letters by H
and his wife to other persons and from
other persons to them, regarding
mortgage, congratulations etc.

Item 12 consists of 251 pages
and it covers the correspondence from
April 5, 1938 until Januar 25, 1939. My
colleagues are ready to provide you on
exclusive basis the full set of item 12
for five thousand pounds, immediate
delivery.

After this change of heart if
you wish some other copies you are
welcome.

Please answer this letter to my
address
shamiris@netvision.net.il

your I. Shamir

So the letters
between Himmler
and his
wife and
mysteriously vanished from the bargain. Mr
Irving informed Shamir, June
26:

Thank you for your
information. This does substantially
change the character of the items in
Item 3, and I want a few days to think
about it.

David Irving

On June
30,
Israel Shamir spelt
out precisely what was in the
Himmler
dossier:

This is the list of
contents of the Item 3 - and pls
forgive my spelling - it is a reversed
translation from the Russian
description. Total volume - 405 lists,
some typewritten and some handwritten.
- Letter from von Schmidt, SS
Reichsfurer's adjutant to Marga H
reminding of her forthcoming visits to
Hitlerjugend, to the car show and to
General Keitel of 13.2.1939. - Letter
to H from the insurance co German Ring
of 2.10.39. - Letter of Marga H to
Admiral Canaris - poem by Baldur von
Schirach - Invitation for a tea party
by Emma Goering to Marga H - letter of
Himmler to his parents 14.08.1936 -
letter from Anna H from Munich 4.37 as
a responce to H's letter of 4.2.37 -
H's order to General K. Wolff to
transmit monthly to Herr A to Leningrad
10-20DM dated 14.6.35 - Communication
of Wolff containing Hitler's signed
drawing for the Austrian satiric comic
strip, 19.10.35. - Affidavit of SS
school in Wewelsburg regarding dates of
birth and marriage of H's mother. -
Letter to H from his Doctor K.
Varenkamp from Stuttgart 29.11.38
containing cardiogram and the illness
of Himmler's description. - Letter by
William Yetts, the Irish poet,to
Kranefuss with thanks to Fuhrer and
Himmler for their hospitality with
descriptions of Germany 14.11.38 -
Questionaire with Himmler's answers
regarding his military career 2.10.36.
- Himmler's biography until his
nomination on 20.01.34 Ministr of
Agriculture. - Tax declaration by H
14.10.40 - Letter to Sturmbannfurer SS
Rudi Brandt 4.9.40 notifying that H
regularly transmits 100DM to the
account of Lebensborn. - Letter by
dentist Dr Hugo Blaschke to H 4.7.38
regarding his teeth. - H's response to
Munich stating that he joined German
Fascist Student Union 10.1.38. - Letter
by H to Goering on Four Year Plan of
transformation of German economy
17.2.38. - Letter by head of NSDAP
fraction in Reichstag Frick to Himmler
regarding Winter Aid contribution with
H's notes on it. - Himmlers office
affidavit stating full amount of tax
paid by H. 16.4.37. - Explanation
13.5.37 on the Order of participants of
the events of 1923. - Seating of guests
incl. diplomats from USA, Sweden,
Ireland at H's dinner. - Project of
questionnaire with race questions by
Head of race authority of SS Walter
Darré 19.1.34 with H's remarks
21.3.34 - Project to place an SS
monument on Ingolstadter str in Munich
and proposed texts. - Himmler's
explanation of meaning of ring for the
newcomers to SS. - Directive of H to
all SS members to have more children,
13.12.34 - Himmler's confirmed SS oath
text. - Letter to Martin Bormann
connected with his purchase of a villa
12.2.37. - Letter of H to Wolf
regarding rent of the villa 15.6.35. -
Letter to M Himmler re purchase of a
house 18.6.34.

That's it! your Shamir

Mr
Irving made
no response. On July 5 Shamir
e-mailed to
him:

Any news? Are you still
on? I.Shamir

Our
opinion

DAVID
IRVING had however decided to
negotiate no further with Mr Shamir. The
cache of documents was suspect; its
composition seemed too changeable. That
the documents were being dishonestly
procured seemed quite evident. "Documents
like that," said Mr Irving, "belong safe
in government archives, and nowhere else."

Shamir made one more
approach - a phone call to him in London,
a day or two before the end of August,
saying that he was just leaving for
Moscow. Mr Irving wished him well. On
September 1, the news was leaked by
others, probably Shamir himself, to the
British press:-

THE
TIMES,September 1, 1998

Russians
invite e-mail bids for lost Nazi
archive

Philip
Knightley

A SECRET archive of Nazi documents,
which its sellers claim was seized by Red
Army commandos in Berlin in the last days
of the Second World War, is being offered
for sale in the West.

Such an archive, said to be of about
one million pages, could cast new light on
the war and events leading up to it. It is
said to include not only Nazi files but
French papers seized by the Gestapo when
Paris fell and then taken to Berlin. The
Red Army, it is claimed, sent the
documents packed in steel trunks to Moscow
by train and from there they were
dispersed for safe-keeping to other Soviet
cities and towns.

Israel Shamir, a Moscow
journalist who is acting for the sale of
the documents, said:

"They were stacked in government rooms
in any old order, the doors were locked
and then just about everybody forgot about
them. The only sign that anyone bothered
to read any of them is a few handwritten
notes on some pages made by the head of
Stalin's secret service,
Lavrenti Beria."

When Gorbachev liberalised the Soviet
regime in the late 1980s, Moscow announced
that the Nazi archive would be accessible
to scholars and historians, but nothing
happened.

No one knew where all the trunks were
or what they contained.

No historian had the time or money to
find out.

Last year a group of Russian
entrepreneurs formed a private company and
proposed to the Russian Government that it
should catalogue the Nazi documents at its
own expense in return for the right to
exploit their contents. It claims that it
has been slowly carrying out that work and
that it has now decided to market the
archive.

Mr Shamir said that since there could
be disputes over the legal ownership of
the archive, the Russian company had, for
the moment, decided to sell only copies.
The list of the contents of the archive
that the company has given him is said to
include:

The diaries from January 1 to May
1, 1945, of Martin Bormann,
Hitler's chief associate, which
presumably document the Nazi leaders'
last days in the Berlin bunker.

The personal papers of Heinrich
Himmler, the SS chief. Among them
is a letter from the Irish poet and
Nobel prizewinner W.B. Yeats,
written after his visit to Germany in
1938, saying how impressed he was with
Nazi Germany.

Hundreds of letters exchanged
between General Erich
Ludendorff, Chief of the German
General Staff in the First World War.
and Walter Nicolai, head of the
German Secret Service, 1919-23.